“Breaking News: Barn Party at Farm to Fight Hunger goes viral!” At least that’s what it seemed like when approximately 300 people attended the Sept. 12 fundraiser where the Farm to Fight Hunger gardens are located. Parking lots in neighboring fields were filled and cars parked along Los Amigos Road shuttled attendees in Western wear, while amazing food—all homemade by the farm owners and friends—live bands, hay-bale seating and great wine contributed to Healdsburg’s harvest-time event for a good cause.
Farm to Fight Hunger, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, donates 100% of food grown at no cost to provide fresh organic fruits and vegetables to those in need. This year the farm’s chickens produced 30,000 eggs; egg distribution is through Healdsburg’s food pantry. Agricultural fields on the property, in cooperation with Jardín del Pueblo’s (People’s Garden), are projected to put approximately 100,000 tons of culturally appropriate fruits and vegetables into local food banks. As Zeke Guzman, founder of Jardín del Pueblo, says: “The hands that grow our food should never struggle to put food on their own table.”
FUN FACTS: Farm to Fight Hunger’s humble origins began with a term-paper at Santa Rosa Junior College’s Sustainable Agricultural program. The project was founded to address food insecurity in Sonoma County through direct, nonprofit and local agricultural production. What started as 10 rows of vegetables in a former vineyard now includes a barn, a greenhouse, irrigation improvements and chicken coops with protective enclosures. Volunteer labor for planting and harvesting, two full-time farmers and farmworkers helping to harvest food for their families all work together to bring organic food to local tables at no cost through Sonoma County’s food banks. The experimental model is succeeding, with 50% compounded annual growth in food distribution since its beginning. Maybe growing and eating local food which is available to all in our community can go viral?
NOT-SO-FUN FACTS: Not so fun is the fact that food insecurity is an issue in Sonoma County. Increases in the cost of living, gas prices and food prices coupled with decreasing job opportunities and the wine market downturn are causing farmworker families to cut back. Unfortunately for those who live paycheck to paycheck, going without food is one of the easier ways to make ends meet. Farm to Fight Hunger’s motto is: “Grow, Gather, Give.” Consider the opportunity.
Learn more about farmtofighthunger.org/news-from-the-farm, and donate at farmtofighthunger.org/donate.
